My O's glass is half empty again.

[DrungoHazewood]

House and Bako shouldn't be discussed as opposing options IMHO. I watched House play catcher while in ST and I don't think there is any way that a reasonable manager/GM would consider him a viable back up at catcher. He simply isn't very good back there from what I saw. He didn't frame the ball well. He didn't move well on pitches in the dirt. His arm was ok at best. I couldn't tell a lot about how well he was calling pitches but I will say that the pitcher seemed to struggle a bit more when he was catching (but that could be coincidence).

Honestly, I wasn't even particularly impressed with him at the plate. He has damn good bat speed, but he seemed extremely vulnerable to off speed stuff. However, it was early in ST and a limited sample size so maybe I saw him at less than his best offensively.

Defensively, the technique isn't there for House to get 30-50 starts at catcher this year IMHO. I was a much bigger fan of Knott and Dubois. FYI, I thought Bynum looked horrible at the plate, but very, very good in the field.

But compare that to Bako. His offense is going to be excreable, among the worst in the majors. If he gets 30-50 starts behind the plate I'd assume he'll be ok defensively, but a big, fat zero at bat. Last year, in only 150 at bats, he was 15 runs below average offensively. House would have to be hideous with the glove to cost that many runs defensively.

On a team that's looking like it'll be 5th in the division in runs I'd take my chances with the bat.

[Dipper9]

If this team's success is so dependent on the make up of the bench than you're right to be depressed. IMO it's almost totally dependent on the sucess of the pitching, in which case a bunch of speedy slaphitters who play good defense might be a help. The season is not going to turn on the difference between Bako and House or Knott and BYnum/Yan/Dubois/ Payton/Gibbons, IMO.

Here is why the makeup of the bench is a problem. Perlozzo has made statements saying Chris Gomez will be a late inning defensive replacement at first base on a regular basis. So, assuming Huff is that first baseman, and assuming its a tight game...many, many times we are going to have Gomez up to the plate in a clutch situation instead of our #5 hitter. This is why we need a stable, good defensive, great offensive first baseman. And this is also why the bench will kill us!

[NewMarketSean]

Another example is Sanders and Fogg. All that's been said is that they are "looking at them"....yet some seem to assume that means we are going to trade for them.

To me, that they are even looking at them is a problem. That proves to me that they still haven't learned that aging veterans and bad pitchers are what they are.

They won't get any better.

So why not go with a guy like DuBois or Knott who has some upside or just let your pitching depth be Hayden Penn, Garret Olson and Jeremy Guthrie?

Why do they feel the need to go right after veterans who are out of baseball in a year whenever they feel some pressure for roster depth? It's like they're at a used car lot and they go right after the 1992 Dodge Shadow with chipped paint before even taking a look at the 10 year old Honda Civic or Toyota Carolla.

It's like this organization is allergic to younger players with some upside.

[Dipper9]

To me, that they are even looking at them is a problem. That proves to me that they still haven't learned that aging veterans and bad pitchers are what they are.

They won't get any better.

So why not go with a guy like DuBois or Knott who has some upside or just let your pitching depth be Hayden Penn, Garret Olson and Jeremy Guthrie?

Why do they feel the need to go right after veterans who are out of baseball in a year whenever they feel some pressure for roster depth? It's like they're at a used car lot and they go right after the 1992 Dodge Shadow with chipped paint before even taking a look at the 10 year old Honda Civic or Toyota Carolla.

It's like this organization is allergic to younger players with some upside.

If you believe some people on here.........ITS ALL ANGELOS' FAULT!

[wildcard]

I think a lot of this stuff will take care of itself.

If Payton doesn't hit righties, expect to see Gibbons or DuBois in left.

If Penn goes to AAA and maintains a 2.26 ERA again with a SO per inning like he did last year, how long do he think Trachsel will be allowed to maintain a 6.00 ERA in the rotation? Not long.

If Huff can't play good defense at first, expect to see Millar there with Huff switching to DH.

I am hearing the pitchers actually like to throw to Bako.

Has the team fixed left and 1B. Doesn't look like it. But we have stop gap players again. We will just have to see what happens.

I think alot depends on what you expect. If you expect 85 wins, you may be smiling. If you are looking for 95 wins and the playoffs, you are not likely to be happy.

[bigloe]

Bottom line, is this team better overall than last years team? YES! With the addition of Huff, Payton, the bullpen and the maturing of Markakis, Loewen, Beddard and Cabrera(?) this team should be better than last year. Isn't this what we want to see?

[El Gordo]

Here is why the makeup of the bench is a problem. Perlozzo has made statements saying Chris Gomez will be a late inning defensive replacement at first base on a regular basis. So, assuming Huff is that first baseman, and assuming its a tight game...many, many times we are going to have Gomez up to the plate in a clutch situation instead of our #5 hitter. This is why we need a stable, good defensive, great offensive first baseman. And this is also why the bench will kill us!

What about Huff blowing a one run lead when he lets a ball go down the line for a double? Think that can't happen. Usually you put in late inning defense when you are ahead to protect a lead. Even Sam's not going to pull one of his best hitters when he's behind in a close game.

[Dipper9]

What about Huff blowing a one run lead when he lets a ball go down the line for a double? Think that can't happen. Usually you put in late inning defense when you are ahead to protect a lead. Even Sam's not going to pull one of his best hitters when he's behind in a close game.

We can only hope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[byrdz]

This is what I'm tired of hearing...

ST does matter because this is where you make critical decisions about who will go north, based on performances. If they decide that they need another bat or another pitcher from outside the organization then it's because they realized there was a need from what happened in ST.

I'm excited about most of the pitching, don't get me wrong. What I'm persistently troubled by is the FO's acquisition of complementary players to go with our home grown players.

The reason why ST matters is because we can see the decisions made from ST to ST over the years and they are almost verbatim. We also know the results of those decisions.

Spring training does matter.

[El Gordo]

But compare that to Bako. His offense is going to be excreable, among the worst in the majors. If he gets 30-50 starts behind the plate I'd assume he'll be ok defensively, but a big, fat zero at bat. Last year, in only 150 at bats, he was 15 runs below average offensively. House would have to be hideous with the glove to cost that many runs defensively.

On a team that's looking like it'll be 5th in the division in runs I'd take my chances with the bat.

The problem is you can't compare it. You have no way to quantify the value of Bako's defense. So you are using antidotal evendence and opinion against numbers. Naturally the numbers will seem more convincing to you. But the limitation is the inability to measure your intangibles.

[DrungoHazewood]

It's like this organization is allergic to younger players with some upside.

I think it's more specific - they're allergic to players without a major league track record. They act like an organization that doesn't trust minor league performances, but firmly believes a player isn't any good if they'd sign with the Orioles. They seem to think that the whole concept of a Ken Phelps All Star (see below) is a joke - if they were any good they'd already have a job.

If it was just this year it would be one thing, but we have a long ledger filled up with Terreros and Custs and Houses and Carlos Mendezes who could have been decent solutions to immediate, pressing needs who were never given 100 PAs. That's the most frustrating thing - they almost always have solutions on hand and they won't even let them try.

...Phelps' career travails inspired author Bill James to create the "Ken Phelps All-Star" team. As James described it:

Ken Phelpses are just available; if you want one, all you have to do is ask. They are players whose real limitations are exaggerated by baseball insiders, players who get stuck with a label -- the label of their limits, the label the things they can't do -- while those that they can do are overlooked... The Ken Phelps All-Stars [are] a whole teamful of guys who are wearing labels, but who nonetheless can play major-league baseball, and will prove it if they ever get the chance.

[DrungoHazewood]

I think a lot of this stuff will take care of itself.

If Payton doesn't hit righties, expect to see Gibbons or DuBois in left.

If Penn goes to AAA and maintains a 2.26 ERA again with a SO per inning like he did last year, how long do he think Trachsel will be allowed to maintain a 6.00 ERA in the rotation? Not long.

If Huff can't play good defense at first, expect to see Millar there with Huff switching to DH.

I am hearing the pitchers actually like to throw to Bako.

Has the team fixed left and 1B. Doesn't look like it. But we have stop gap players again. We will just have to see what happens.

I think alot depends on what you expect. If you expect 85 wins, you may be smiling. If you are looking for 95 wins and the playoffs, you are not likely to be happy.

The problem is we have extremely stong indications of what will happen, but they'll use at least April and May to see it play out. "If Payton doesn't hit righties" will require 200 at bats to figure out if his last 2000 PAs ring true. Trachsel will get 80 innings of below-replacement flailing before he's dumped. We might eventually get fixes, but the team will likely be 10 games under .500 by then.

[DrungoHazewood]

The problem is you can't compare it. You have no way to quantify the value of Bako's defense. So you are using antidotal evendence and opinion against numbers. Naturally the numbers will seem more convincing to you. But the limitation is the inability to measure your intangibles.

Of course, but when you're faced with a choice between tangibles (there is no argument that House is vastly, hugely superior with the bat) and intangibles (Bako is better than House defensively, but it's hard to quantify), I just don't see how you go with hope that the fuzzy, undefinable part works out in your favor.

[El Gordo]

Yes and No. We want to improvement that continues for 3-5 years. We don't want moves that make us a .500 team for the next 5 years. If being a little worse this year would makes us better in 3, I'd take it.

Interesting. Keeping Bako over House may cost us a game or two this year but it may help a young pitching staff to continue to grow and make us better the next three. I doubt that the future of the team has much to do with House, Bako, Knott or Traschsel for that matter.

[Dipper9]

Even if you believe that, you have to believe that there was another backup catcher out there who could call a game and hit a little. BTW, you sure are giving Bako a lot of credit.

Based on our track record, the O's will probably go after Javy Lopez!